Is detoxing really healthy and is it actually possible?

The new trend for detoxing is a popular topic of conversation. If you are tired and exhausted then you are supposedly urgently in need of a detox. But what does that actually mean and is a detox really healthy?

What is a detox?

Detoxing is based on the idea that, from time to time, everyone should clear their body of “toxins”, which build up as a result of toxic substances, pesticides or an unhealthy diet. Many detox programmes involve quitting processed foods, alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and often also meat and white flour, for a certain length of time. Other examples include juice cleanses that take place over several days, special massages or supplementary products which are supposed to detox the body. Commonly occurring symptoms of a poor diet, such as tiredness, headaches, pallid skin and lack of concentration, are supposed to disappear after a detox and you should have more energy. The aim is to relieve the burden on the liver, colon, kidneys and other organs.

Is detoxing really healthy?

It’s true that we certainly absorb toxic substances as we go about our everyday life. However, it has not been scientifically proven that these toxins accumulate in the body and can be expelled by detoxing. The colon, kidneys and liver in healthy people neutralise harmful substances and non-usable materials are excreted. There is no such thing as so-called “waste products” that are removed from the body in a detox programme. From a scientific perspective, it has not yet been possible to detect these in the human body. Moreover, according to the German Nutrition Society (DGE), there is no scientific proof that programmes of this type stimulate the expulsion of toxins from the body.

However, brief detox programmes are not harmful for healthy individuals. On the contrary, they can help to identify and break unhealthy habits. Long-term and one-sided detox programmes, such as juice fasting are not recommended, however, as they can result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies. So if you want to do something good for your body in the long term, simply make sure that you eat a balanced and healthy diet and get enough exercise. In this way, you can ensure that you have energy the whole year through and body and mind are in harmony.

Your Dole Team